All it takes is the colors blue and yellow to immediately take me back. . .
The police interrogation, the random street guy backhanding me, the miserable rush hour public transportation are not the first things I think of, though they make for great stories.
Instead the arm in arm strolls with newly made friends, the conversation over tea/coffee, the excitement of God opening new doors for ministry and the smell of fresh flowers for sell in every metro station are what rush into my mind and instantly bring a smile to my lips.
I don’t know what happened exactly in Ukraine, when it became a love affair. I entered its borders tired, sick, miserable and ready for home. We were headed to a big city with a strange language full of funny characters, cold weather, and a ministry based around teaching English to university students. I expected to hate it.
Somehow it changed, or maybe God changed me, and by the time our last day came I was broken at the thought of leaving and sobbed more than I had all year.
Before October I was mostly excited about being part of the worship team heading to Berlin for the last month of the Race, but by the time it arrived I wanted nothing more than to be left in Kiev. I loved Berlin, our contacts, our ministry and hope to return there as well one day, but even as we crossed into Germany a part of me stayed behind in Ukraine.
I still cannot explain it but that country has not left my thoughts or prayers since, so this week I made a commitment. (If you don’t know, I’m of the non-committal type.) The deadline still looms in the distance but in my heart I knew it was time.
In June I will board a plane back to the country I fell in love with. I will return to work with CCX, the ministry Team Manna was with during our stay in Kiev, and will be part of the staff for their summer English camp. This year the theme is “Identity.” It is an option that was presented to me before I left Ukraine and was hopefully written into my 2010 calendar as soon as it was purchased. My heart leaps at the thought of being in Kiev again and it is the only choice that makes any sense in my life right now.
For now I’m asking for your prayers as plans are made to get me there. This time there isn’t someone else creating my itinerary, searching for the best deals, taking care of logistics and things… nope this time that’s my responsibility because this time I’ll be traveling alone. It’s kind of an odd thought.
I hope in the next couple of weeks to nail down more specifics and share with you what I will be doing and how you can help me do what God has placed on my heart. It is also my goal to share with you more of my memories from the land I love, since I realized that I didn’t really write about that month in my blogs because I was too busy being a social butterfly.
You all have been amazingly supportive over the past year and a half and I feel I have not said “Thank you” enough for your prayers, encouragement and support. Please know they don’t go unnoticed or unappreciated.
